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Vitamin, Mineral Deficiency and Poor Diet Quality in Aging

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Micronutrients and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 37281

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ailsa Welch

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Guest Editor

Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
Interests: Diet and aging; Dietary fat and protein composition; Micronutrients; Dietary patterns and acid-base load; Malnutrition; Dietary methodology; Public health nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Siân Robinson

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Guest Editor

AGE Research Group, NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle University
Interests: Lifecourse influences of diet and lifestyle on health in later life; Focusing particularly on inequalities in health in older age; Interests in nutrition policy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aging is a gradual process which accelerates from middle age onwards. Recent evidence suggests that sufficient dietary intake of vitamins and minerals, and following optimal dietary patterns, such as a Mediterranean diet, may be protective during aging. Protection with dietary patterns is conferred through the component foods and micronutrient composition of these patterns, as well as synergy between these components. Knowledge of the optimal requirements for intakes of micronutrients in elderly adult populations is sparse.

Incomplete evidence is accumulating that micronutrient sufficiency can protect against some of the mechanisms involved in the onset of the chronic diseases and conditions of aging such as "inflammaging", increases in oxidative stress and decreases in immune resilience. These conditions include sarcopenia, frailty and risk of fractures, loss of muscle mass and function as well as poor mental wellbeing. Micronutrient malnutrition is also highly prevalent in sectors of older populations with consequent physiological effects.

This issue welcomes submissions on the subject of deficiencies of vitamins and minerals and poor dietary patterns with conditions and mechanisms of aging: sarcopenia, frailty, risk of fractures and poor physical and mental wellbeing in middle and older-aged populations. Papers that address optimal doses and the potential side effects of high dose supplements are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Ailsa Welch
Prof. Dr. Sian Robinson
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Vitamin deficiency
Mineral deficiency
Mechanisms of aging
Diet quality
Dietary patterns
Sarcopenia
Frailty
Micronutrient malnutrition

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2784 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dysmagnesemia Is the Most Common Disturbance of the Calcium–Magnesium–Phosphorous Balance among Older Hospitalized People in Warsaw

by Justyna Malinowska, Milena Małecka-Giełdowska and Olga Ciepiela

Nutrients 2021, 13(10), 3395; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103395 - 27 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1871

Abstract

The elderly are at great risk of developing life-threatening disturbances in calcium–magnesium–phosphate homeostasis because of comorbidities, long-term medication use, and dietary deficiencies, but it is still not known how often they occur in this group of patients. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of these disturbances in a group of hospitalized patients over 65 years of age according to age and sex. The study was conducted between January 2018 and September 2020 at the Central Clinical Hospital in Warsaw. A total of 66,450 calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and vitamin D concentration results were included in the analysis. Dysmagnesemia was present in 33% of the calcium results, dyscalcemia, dysphosphatemia, and dysvitaminosis D—in 23.5%, 26%, and 70% of the results, respectively. The magnesium concentration was found to be age-dependent, and older people were found to be at higher risk of developing abnormal magnesium concentrations (p < 0.001). Sex influenced the occurrence of abnormal magnesium (p < 0.001), vitamin D (p < 0.001), and calcium (p < 0.00001) concentrations, with hypercalcemia and hypervitaminosis D disorders being significantly more common in women (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, disorders of the calcium–magnesium–phosphate metabolism are common in hospitalized patients over 65 years of age, and the concentrations of these substances should be routinely monitored in this group. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin, Mineral Deficiency and Poor Diet Quality in Aging)

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14 pages, 855 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vitamin Intake and Loss of Muscle Mass in Older People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Study of the KAMOGAWA-DM Cohort

by Fuyuko Takahashi, Yoshitaka Hashimoto, Ayumi Kaji, Ryosuke Sakai, Yuka Kawate, Takuro Okamura, Yuriko Kondo, Takuya Fukuda, Noriyuki Kitagawa, Hiroshi Okada, Naoko Nakanishi, Saori Majima, Takafumi Senmaru, Emi Ushigome, Masahide Hamaguchi, Mai Asano, Masahiro Yamazaki and Michiaki Fukui

Nutrients 2021, 13(7), 2335; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072335 - 08 Jul 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5832

Abstract

The aim of this prospective cohort study was to examine the relationships between the intakes of various vitamins and the loss of muscle mass in older people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The change in skeletal muscle mass index (SMI, kg/m²) (kg/m²/year) was defined as follows: (SMI at baseline (kg/m²) − SMI at follow-up (kg/m²))/follow-up period (year). The rate of SMI reduction (%) was calculated as follows (the change in SMI (kg/m²/year)/SMI at baseline (kg/m²)) × 100. The rate of SMI reduction ≥ 1.2% was considered as the loss of muscle mass. Among 197 people with T2DM, 47.2% of them experienced the loss of muscle mass at the 13.7 ± 5.2 month follow-up. Vitamin B1 (0.8 ± 0.3 vs. 0.8 ± 0.3 mg/day, p = 0.031), vitamin B12 (11.2 ± 8.3 vs. 13.4 ± 7.5 μg/day, p = 0.049), and vitamin D (16.5 ± 12.2 vs. 21.6 ± 13.0 μg/day, p = 0.004) intakes in people with the loss of muscle mass were significantly lower than those without. Vitamin D intake was related to the loss of muscle mass after adjusting for sex, age, exercise, alcohol, smoking, body mass index, SMI, glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist, sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, insulin, HbA1c, creatinine, energy intake, and protein intake (adjusted odds ratio 0.93, 95% confidence interval: 0.88–0.97, p = 0.003). This study showed that vitamin D intake was related to the loss of muscle mass in older people with T2DM. Vitamin B12 intake tended to be related to the loss of muscle mass, although vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin E intake were not related. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin, Mineral Deficiency and Poor Diet Quality in Aging)

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24 pages, 1483 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predicting Malnutrition Risk with Data from Routinely Measured Clinical Biochemical Diagnostic Tests in Free-Living Older Populations

by Saskia P. M. Truijen, Richard P. G. Hayhoe, Lee Hooper, Inez Schoenmakers, Alastair Forbes and Ailsa A. Welch

Nutrients 2021, 13(6), 1883; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13061883 - 31 May 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3253

Abstract

Malnutrition (undernutrition) in older adults is often not diagnosed before its adverse consequences have occurred, despite the existence of established screening tools. As a potential method of early detection, we examined whether readily available and routinely measured clinical biochemical diagnostic test data could predict poor nutritional status. We combined 2008–2017 data of 1518 free-living individuals ≥50 years from the United Kingdom National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) and used logistic regression to determine associations between routine biochemical diagnostic test data, micronutrient deficiency biomarkers, and established malnutrition indicators (components of screening tools) in a three-step validation process. A prediction model was created to determine how effectively routine biochemical diagnostic tests and established malnutrition indicators predicted poor nutritional status (defined by ≥1 micronutrient deficiency in blood of vitamins B₆, B₁₂ and C; selenium; or zinc). Significant predictors of poor nutritional status were low concentrations of total cholesterol, haemoglobin, HbA1c, ferritin and vitamin D status, and high concentrations of C-reactive protein; except for HbA1c, these were also associated with established malnutrition indicators. Additional validation was provided by the significant association of established malnutrition indicators (low protein, fruit/vegetable and fluid intake) with biochemically defined poor nutritional status. The prediction model (including biochemical tests, established malnutrition indicators and covariates) showed an AUC of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76–0.81), sensitivity of 66.0% and specificity of 78.1%. Clinical routine biochemical diagnostic test data have the potential to facilitate early detection of malnutrition risk in free-living older populations. However, further validation in different settings and against established malnutrition screening tools is warranted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin, Mineral Deficiency and Poor Diet Quality in Aging)

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15 pages, 3500 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Micronutrient Intake, Sociodemographic, and Behavioral Factors on Periodontal Status of Adults Assisted by a Public Health Care System in Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Multivariate Analysis

by Patrícia Daniela Costa, Juliana Cristina Reis Canaan, Paula Midori Castelo, Douglas Campideli Fonseca, Stela Márcia Pereira-Dourado, Ramiro Mendonça Murata, Vanessa Pardi and Luciano José Pereira

Nutrients 2021, 13(3), 973; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030973 - 17 Mar 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2814

Abstract

The lack of access to a balanced diet, rich in vitamins and minerals, can predispose people to inflammatory diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, and periodontitis. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between micronutrient intake, sociodemographic behavioral characteristics, and periodontal health in adults assisted by a public health care system. Participants (n = 450) answered a food frequency questionnaire and were submitted to anthropometric and oral clinical examinations. Principal component analysis was used to summarize the number of components emerging from 17-micronutrient intake. Subsequently, cluster analysis was employed. The prevalence of at least one periodontal pocket ≥ 4 mm was 67.4%. Three clusters were identified according to periodontal status. Cluster 1 “poor periodontal status” was characterized by older individuals (n = 202; 85% females) with poor periodontal status, lower education level, mainly smokers with non-transmissible chronic diseases (NTCD), with lower energy, omega-3, fiber, Zn, K, Cu, and vitamin C intake. Cluster 3 “healthy periodontal status” included younger individuals (n = 54) with the healthiest periodontal status, a higher education level, without NTCD, and with higher energy, omega-3, fiber, Zn, calcium, retinol, and riboflavin intake. Cluster 2 was labeled as “intermediate periodontal status”. Micronutrient ingestion was associated with periodontal status and may be considered in health promotion actions for low-income populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin, Mineral Deficiency and Poor Diet Quality in Aging)

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Review

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20 pages, 1984 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Nutrition and Frailty: Opportunities for Prevention and Treatment

by Mary Ni Lochlainn, Natalie J. Cox, Thomas Wilson, Richard P. G. Hayhoe, Sheena E. Ramsay, Antoneta Granic, Masoud Isanejad, Helen C. Roberts, Daisy Wilson, Carly Welch, Christopher Hurst, Janice L. Atkins, Nuno Mendonça, Katy Horner, Esme R. Tuttiett, Yvie Morgan, Phil Heslop, Elizabeth A. Williams, Claire J. Steves, Carolyn Greig, John Draper, Clare A. Corish, Ailsa Welch, Miles D. Witham, Avan A. Sayer and Sian Robinson Show full author list Hide full author list

Nutrients 2021, 13(7), 2349; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072349 - 09 Jul 2021

Cited by 78 | Viewed by 13779

Abstract

Frailty is a syndrome of growing importance given the global ageing population. While frailty is a multifactorial process, poor nutritional status is considered a key contributor to its pathophysiology. As nutrition is a modifiable risk factor for frailty, strategies to prevent and treat frailty should consider dietary change. Observational evidence linking nutrition with frailty appears most robust for dietary quality: for example, dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet appear to be protective. In addition, research on specific foods, such as a higher consumption of fruit and vegetables and lower consumption of ultra-processed foods are consistent, with healthier profiles linked to lower frailty risk. Few dietary intervention studies have been conducted to date, although a growing number of trials that combine supplementation with exercise training suggest a multi-domain approach may be more effective. This review is based on an interdisciplinary workshop, held in November 2020, and synthesises current understanding of dietary influences on frailty, focusing on opportunities for prevention and treatment. Longer term prospective studies and well-designed trials are needed to determine the causal effects of nutrition on frailty risk and progression and how dietary change can be used to prevent and/or treat frailty in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin, Mineral Deficiency and Poor Diet Quality in Aging)

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16 pages, 772 KiB

Open AccessReview

Perspective: Practical Approach to Preventing Subclinical B12 Deficiency in Elderly Population

by Alessandra Vincenti, Laura Bertuzzo, Antonio Limitone, Giuseppe D’Antona and Hellas Cena

Nutrients 2021, 13(6), 1913; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13061913 - 02 Jun 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 8542

Abstract

Vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin) is an essential water-soluble vitamin that plays a pivotal role for several physiologic functions during one’s lifespan. Only certain microorganisms are able to synthetize B12, thus humans obtain cobalamin exclusively from their diet, specifically from animal-derived foods. Specific sub-group populations are at risk of vitamin B12 subclinical deficiency due to different factors including poor intake of animal source foods and age-dependent decrease in the capacity of intestinal B12 uptake. Consumption of animal products produces some negative health issues and negatively impacts sustainability while a plant-based diet increases the risk of B12 deficiency. Taking a cue from the aforementioned considerations, this narrative review aims to summarize facts about B12 deficiency and the burden of inadequate dietary intake in elderly population, as well as to discuss sustainable approaches to vitamin B12 deficiency in aging population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin, Mineral Deficiency and Poor Diet Quality in Aging)

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